


The Daisies After Tomorrow

by facelessoldwoman



Category: Pushing Daisies, The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Genre: F/M, Includes graphic and overwrought descriptions of climate change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-15
Updated: 2014-09-21
Packaged: 2018-02-17 14:00:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2312144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/facelessoldwoman/pseuds/facelessoldwoman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everything Changed When the Ice Hurricanes Attacked.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Imagine Jim Dale reading this to you. I know I do.

_The facts were these:_

Once upon a time a long time ago the human population on planet Earth exploded exponentially over the course of a handful of centuries. The humans did many things: they circumnavigated the globe, they traveled to the moon, and they created handheld devices that connected to an international network of information. This was all very affirming for the human race- but every gift has a price.

While the humans were busy building their numbers by the billions they cut down rainforests and exploded atomic bombs. They pumped carbon monoxide out of their cars and methane out of their mass produced cattle. The compiled effects of mankind’s industrial gluttony increased the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, and the natural greenhouse effect was amplified enough to increase global temperatures. Mankind continued their pursuit of progress while the temperature rose and the ice caps melted.

Then the inevitable happened: a series of super-strong ice hurricanes poised to attack, and not even Al Gore could save them. The time was 12:46PM Eastern Standard Time on May 26th 2004\. Our story begins only 24 hours earlier.


	2. A Little Fall of Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "What about the garbage cans? There's always something to eat in the garbage!"
> 
> -Luther, The Day After Tomorrow

The time was 12:46PM Eastern Standard Time on May 25th 2004\. The event was a Dennis Quaid Memorial Comfort Food Cook-Off in the New York Public Library. High school students armed with pastries, pasties, and pies gathered to fight to the culinary death. The winners would win a massive scholarship for their entire team.

A charming young boy named Ned and his relentlessly cheery classmate Olive Snook traveled in the backseat of a car driven by their chaperone, Mr. Emerson Cod. It was at this moment that they arrived at the front steps of the library. Ned and Olive sat expectantly in the backseat but no one seemed sure what to do.

“Aren’t you going in with us?” Olive asked. She scratched Digby behind the ears. Even though Digby was Ned’s dog Ned was never really fond of petting him.

“You don’t have to go in with us,” Ned said.

“Yes he does,” Olive said, punching Ned in the arm, “He’s our chaperone, he has to sign us in!”

“Get out of the damned car, I’m double parked,” Emerson said.

“Yes, Mr. Cod,” Olive said. Olive and Ned hopped out of the car as it drove away, tire squealing against the pavement. They watched all the other students heading into the library so they shrugged and joined the crowd.

“Ned?” a female voice said, tugging on Ned’s sleeve.

“Yes?” Ned said.

“It’s me! Charlotte Charles!” the girl said. Ned gasped. It was as though a dark haired apparition from his childhood was coming back to haunt him.

“Chuck!” Ned said, staggering back unable to stop smiling, “Of course I remember you.”

“I’m Olive Snook,” Olive said, butting in.

“Hello Olive, I’m Chuck,” Chuck said.

“I haven’t seen you since you left school,” Ned said.

“I live with my aunts now, they homeschool me,” Chuck said, “Are you in the competition?”

“Pies,” Ned said, holding a pink box out for her to see.

“Sweet!” Chuck said, “Honey.”

“What?” Ned said.

“I make my own honey,” Chuck said, holding up a large jar with a cloth lid, “I’m a beekeeper. It’s a natural sweetener, goes well with baking.”

“Oh,” Ned said. His cheeks felt hot all of a sudden.

“I’m going inside, Ned,” Olive said.

“Sounds good,” Ned waved. He didn’t even look at her. Olive huffed in frustration. Olive and Ned were not technically a couple- but Olive was the only girl that Ned talked to, at least that used to be the case.  This disruption in his attention was positively unprecedented in all the years that Olive had known him.

“Nice to meet you, Olive!” Chuck said with a smile that brought small crinkles to the corners of her eyes. Olive hated her. Olive looked back one last time to see if Ned would join her inside the library but he was staring transfixed at the new girl.

“Thanks for calling me Chuck. Nobody's called me Chuck since... you,” Chuck said, now her cheeks were pink as well.

“I used to... when I lived next door to you... I had a cru...” Ned stammered, but Ned did not get to finish that sentence, because just then the pair of them felt the first of many raindrops pitter pattering on their brows. Chuck stretched her hand out and smiled.

"I love the rain," Chuck hummed happily. 

Ned's mind rushed back to when he was 9 years, 27 weeks, 6 days, and 3 minutes old.

_Ned and his dog Digby were running through the field, Ned's bowl-cut blowing wildly in the breeze. The weather took an unfortunate turn. The wind picked up from rustling to gustling. The pair of them ran back towards the house. Ned could hear his father calling out for him. He was running for the front door when his dad snatched him out of his path and dragged him down into the storm cellar. Ned called out to Digby, who was still running to the house._

_WHAM. Out of nowhere a rogue tornado touched down and swallowed the dog up. Ned looked on, unable to help, held back by his concerned father. Digby flew through the air howling and barking, doing midair somersaults as though he was in the flying trapeze in an all-dog circus. Digby was 3 years, 2 weeks, 6 days, 5 hours and 9 minutes old._

_And not a minute older._

_Big fat droplets of rain landed on the storm shelter door, soon joined by a torrent of water the likes of which the young boy had never seen before. The rain changed the air pressure enough to dissipate the tornado but not soon enough to spare Digby. Ned found the still body of his dead dog Digby laying down on the ground, surrounded by uprooted wildflowers and a few splintered fence posts. This was the moment Young Ned realized he wasn't like the other children. Nor was he like anyone else for that matter._

Ned shook the memory from his mind. The sky wasn't rumbling and the world wasn't ending. Droplets of rain cascaded down Chuck's curls and bled little black trails down her cheeks from her mascara. The sight almost made him forget to breathe. 

"I think I could learn to like it," Ned said.


End file.
